Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?

We all know that hair is an amazing thing, but is it so amazing that a simple trim can help save the Gulf of Mexico from the worst oil spill in North America?

While attending a hair conference in Boston, Joan Novak was introduced to the hair clipping theory from another stylist. Novak along with thousands of other environmentally conscious stylists around the world began their collection of clippings. They started to send their clippings to Lisa Gautier, a women from San Francisco known for being “the crazy hair lady.” Lisa has been running A Matter of Trust, a charity that transforms human hair, nylons, and discarded pantyhose into the resemblance of gigantic sausages for over 10 years.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHuWyFVo62o]

Where on Earth did this idea originate from you may ask? It goes back to 1989 when an Alabama hair stylist, Phil McCrory noticed that otter’s fur absorbed oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill that March. He thought, why not see if human hair can do the same thing. It is estimated that the human hair absorbs roughly a quart of oil for every pound of hair follicles.

The problem with this theory is that not everyone sees this solution as a natural one. Officials who are cleaning up the Gulf’s damage have asked people to stop donating their hair, saying that it is an ineffective solution.

Charlie Henry, NOAA’s scientific support coordinator at the scene, told the media, “Our priority when cleaning up an oil spill is to find the most efficient and expedient way to remove the oil from the affected area while causing no additional damage.”

What is your take on the hair booms clean up theory? Is it at least worth a shot or should we avoid causing anymore potential damage?